Method of ironing tubular articles



Oct 1957 L. CRAIG 2,810,219

METHOD OF momma TUBULAR ARTICLES Filed Sept. 8, 1955 HER ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice Patented Oct. 22, 1957 METHOD OF IRONTNG TUBULAR ARTICLES Louise Craig, New York, N. Y.

Application September 8, 1955, Serial No. 533,059

2 Claims. (Cl. 38-144) This invention relates to the ironing or pressing of tubular articles such as the sleeves of garments of various kinds.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved method of ironing or pressing tubular articles to the end that such work may be accomplished more easily and expeditiously, and a further object of the invention is a provision of a special pad for use in carrying out the improved method.

The aim of the invention is to reduce the amount of labor and time involved in ironing garment sleeves, and other tubular articles, either in the home, or in the factory.

The conventional method of ironing tubular articles such as garment sleeves involves the use of what is called a sleeve board. This is a small ironing board, usually comprising a base member which constitutes its support and above which is mounted a narrow ironing board sufliciently small in width so that the sleeve, or a portion of the sleeve, may be placed over it. To enable this to be done, the narrow board is supported adjacent one end only so that the major portion projects free of and spaced above its base member and the ironing board or table upon which the sleeve board is placed.

In order to use this sleeve board, the sleeve is slipped over the projecting, unsupported end and the flat iron is then lifted and applied to press or iron that portion of the sleeve fabric which is above the board. The iron is then returned to its rest, as the operator must use both hands to shift the sleeve around the sleeve board, whereupon the iron is again removed from its rest and again applied to the different portion of the sleeve fabric now above the sleeve board. This method necessitates that the flat iron be put down each time the sleeve is shifted on the board inasmuch as both hands are required in order to make the shift. Repeated shifting and lifting are required to complete the pressing of the sleeve.

Through the present invention, the repeated picking up and putting down of a flat iron is eliminated and the sleeve can be pressed in substantially one continuous operation. According to the invention, an elongated generally cylindrical ironing pad is first inserted within the sleeve or other article to be ironed. The article and the inserted pad are then supported upon a substantially flat surface, such as the surface of the conventional ironing board, and then the flat iron is applied to the upper surface of the article, usually, but not necessarily, moving the flat iron back and forth lengthwise until the pressing of the upper portion is finished, and then bringing new area to be ironed into the upper or ironing position by rolling the pad and the fabric of the article on the fiat supporting surface without shifting the pad with respect to the article, and continuing the application of the iron until the entire area of the article has been ironed.

By carrying out this operation adjacent one end of the ironing board, the body portion of the article, such as a blouse or a mans jacket, can be turned and manipulated as the cylindrical pad and sleeve are turned. By this method, it will be understood that the garment sleeve can be pressed or ironed substantially as a single continuous process and without repeatedly taking up and setting down the fiat iron in order to shift the sleeve to a different position.

The invention will be further understood in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which;

Fig. 1 is a side or top view of the novel ironing pad which is used in carrying out the method of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the pad looking from the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view looking from the right;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views illustrating the carrying out of the method of the invention in ironing the sleeve of a blouse, Fig. 5 illustrating the commencing of the ironing operation, and Fig. 6 showing a later part of the operation after the pad and sleeve have been rolled to permit the application of the iron to a different area of the sleeve.

Referring now to these drawings, the novel ironing pad 1 is composed of a filler 2 of any suitable material and a cover 3 of a closely woven fabric, usually cotton, such as is used for the conventional ironing board cover. The cover is wrapped about the filler and the ends are sewed together lengthwise on a circular seam such as indicated at 4. The ends may be closed by end pieces or discs 5 and 6, and the end edges of the cover 3 turned and stitched to these end pieces as indicated at 7 and 8 respectively. These end portions are so turned as to leave rounded corners 9 and 10 at the opposite ends of the pad.

The filler 2 may be of Kapoc, cotton linters, or any convenient material, but it is essential that the filler be packed tightly within the pad cover so that the surface of the pad will be somewhat resilient but not soft. Although the pad is substantially or generally cylindrical in shape, it may advantageously be made slightly smaller at one end than at the other as this renders the insertion of the pad into the sleeve easier, but it is not necessary for the pad to completely fill and fit the size of the sleeve as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Referring to Fig. 5, in carrying out the method of the invention, the pad 1 is first inserted in the lower end of the sleeve 11 of the blouse, and the sleeve and pad are placed close to the near edge of the ironing board 12, and also close to the lefthand end 13 of the board. The body 14 of the blouse may be draped over the end 13. The user then applies a flat iron such as indicated in 15 to the fabric of the sleeve 11 which is on the upper part of the pad, and the iron is moved back and forth sufficiently to iron that portion of the sleeve. Thereupon, Without removing the flat iron from the fabric, the operator with her left hand turns or rolls the pad 1 and the fabric of the sleeve on the surface of the ironing board in a direction away from her as indicated by the curved arrows in Figs. 5 and 6.

This brings a new area to be ironed into ironing position as is indicated by the higher position of the sleeve buttons as shown in Fig. 6, and the operator continues to move the flat iron 15 back and forth over this new area of the sleeve fabric. The operator continues this motion of the iron with the right hand and the turning of the pad and sleeve with the left hand, at the same time manipulating the body portion 14 of the blouse around the left end 13 of the ironing board until the sleeve is completely ironed, that is, until the entire area of the sleeve has been pressed.

The pad 1 is then removed from this sleeve and inserted in the opposite sleeve of the garment, and the same method is followed in pressing such second sleeve.

Advantageously, the pad 1 may be 15 to 18 inches in length, and from about 2% to 3 /2 inches average diameter. If it is desired to make the pad tapered, as previously indicated, the smaller end may be about 2 /2 inches in diameter and the larger end about 3 /2, the average diameter being about 3 inches. A pad of this size can be readily stored in the home in proximity to the ironing board, and because of my improved method of pressing and ironing sleeves and the like, such pad will be found extremely useful.

In View of the fact that the method of the invention eliminates the necessity for continuously or repeatedly picking up and setting down the flat iron, when the method is used in a plant or factory where blouses, shirt waists, and other ladies garments are made, or where mens coats or jackets are made, a considerable amount of time can be saved in the pressing of such garments, which of course has a tendency to reduce the cost of manufacture. This is also true when the improved method is used in dry cleaners and tailors establishments, and the like.

I claim:

1. The method of ironinga tubular article which comprises inserting therein a generally cylindrical, somewhat resilient ironing pad, supporting the article and inserted pad on a substantially fiat surface, applying a fiat iron to the article, and bringing the area to be ironed into ironing position by rolling the pad and the fabric of the article on the flat supporting surface without substantially shifting the pad with respect to the article.

2. The method of ironing a tubular article which comprises inserting therein a generally cylindrical somewhat resilient ironing pad, supporting the article and inserted pad on a substantially flat surface, moving a flat iron back and forth lengthwise of the pad and in contact with the article, bringing the area to be ironed into ironing position by rolling the pad and the fabric of the article on the flat supporting surface without substantially shifting the pad with respect to the article, and continuing said back and forth movement of the fiat iron, while intermittently rolling the pad and the article without substantially shifting the pad with respect to the article until all of the surface area of the article has been ironed.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 774,599 MeMullen Nov. 8, 1904 2,280,720 Rumbaugh Apr. Ill, 1942 2,314,498 Hoagland Mar. 23, 1943 2,486,718 McKinley et al. Nov. 1, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,091,968 France Nov. 3, 1954 

